Oral health status among women with oral contraceptives

Abstract EN

The present study was conducted to investigate the safety and efficacy of oral contraceptive drugs on oral health and to determine the prevalence of dental caries, plaque, calculus and gingival indices.

The sample comprised of 90 females attended to Family Regulation Unit of Al–Hadbaa Health Center in Mosul during the period from 2003 to 2004.

Sixty females using oral contraceptives (for at least three years), which are combinations of oestro-gen and progesterone.

The other 30 heal-thy women were acted as control group with similar age groups and a mean age of 31 years.

The oral contraceptive drugs modify oral health.

In the present study, the prev-alence of dental caries, plaque, calculus and gingival indices increased in all wo-men using oral contraceptive drugs than the prevalence in the women of the control group.

In view of the possible factors that cause increase of the indices, suggested a hormonal factor especially oestrogen and progesterone hormones, which have an effect on rate and pattern of hard and soft tissues resulting in reduced the ability to repair and maintain the oral health status